Kunocchichi, chapter 1
by umlando
Summary: Classmates Kuno Chiharu and Taguchi Urara are always grouped together, even though they're so different. Taguchi is a jock, unsuccessful in romance, and usually tired of hearing about Kuno's boyfriend, Ouji. Kuno actually has very few friends.


"Whew!"

Taguchi Urara took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Somehow, being a second-year on the tennis team was more difficult than she had imagined. She felt so tired these days, and today she moved so slowly that all the other girls from the tennis team had showered and gone home already. The school was pretty dark, but as she walked toward the gate, she saw a light in a second-floor window.

"Isn't that our classroom?" she asked herself. Then, grumbling that she was always cleaning up after her classmates – and that even the teacher needed a nanny – she stomped back into the school and trudged up the stairs. The door was open a few inches, and Urara peeked in, half-expecting to see Naru-sensei catching up on some work.

There was nobody in the teacher's chair, but in the third row, a girl with wavy hair rested her head on Urara's desk. _Why is some girl sleeping at my desk?_ Urara thought as she took a step into the classroom, calling out, "Ummm, almost everyone has gone home, so you…"

At the sounds of someone entering the room, the girl lifted her head and looked at Urara with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

"Kunocchi?" Urara paused. "What are you doing here so late?"

"It's awful, Taguchi!" the girl said, standing up. It was Kuno Chiharu, one of Urara's friends. She made no move to hide her tears.

"What's awful?" Urara asked, coming nearer. A strange tightness inside her kept her from asking Chiharu why she was waiting at her desk.

"My-," Chiharu stuttered, sobbing. Urara took a step forward and laid a hand on Chiharu's shoulder. She felt awkward, but she could tell Chiharu was really in pain. _This is no good,_ Urara thought. _I'm really not good at this at all – what should I do?_

But at that point, Chiharu wailed and threw her arms around Urara, her tears pooling on her classmate's neck. Without realizing it, Urara had put her arms around Chiharu and felt the delicacy of the smaller girl's shaking body.

After a minute of feeling awkward and strangely warm inside, Urara took Chiharu by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Tell me," she said is a softer voice than she had intended. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Tell me what's wrong." She was relieved when Chiharu looked away and sat down in a chair. Urara sat near her.

"Is it Ouji?" Urara asked. When Chiharu silently stared at her shoes and tried to hold back a sob, Urara's heart skipped a beat. _What was this strange feeling?_ she wondered. _Why did seeing her friend so unhappy make her feel unhappy, too?_

"So tell me," Urara began, but Chiharu cut her off.

"You're always listening to me, Taguchi, and I know you get sick of it, but now there's nobody else I can talk to," Chiharu said.

"I know, I know, and I'm always griping at you about it, but I don't mind, really," Urara lied.

"You don't?" Tears leapt to Chiharu's eyes.

Somewhere deep inside, Urara stumbled. She paused for a moment's realization. "No, I really don't." Just saying this made her head feel light. _Is that weird? _

Chiharu's whole body looked relieved, even her hair. She took a deep breath and then told her friend a long and rambling list of complaints about Ouji.

Urara heard hardly a word, and then suddenly, she noticed Chiharu staring at her.

"Well?" Chiharu demanded. "Well, was I right to tell him that or not?"

Urara hesitated. If she had wanted, she could tell Chiharu she was really tired, and couldn't stay to talk, but Chiharu's eyes begged her for friendship. And if Urara were honest, what would Chiharu think? No, she had to stay, and figure out how to help her friend.

"Well," she stalled, thinking fast. "Did it work?"

Urara immediately regretted her guess.

"Whaaaaaaat?" Chiharu wailed. "How could you even ask a thing like that?" While Urara was considering whether the results of jumping out the second-story window would be more painful than seeing the disappointment on her friend's face, Chiharu's face changed from anguished to resigned.

She sighed.

Urara stared in disbelief.

"Maybe…" Chiharu began, "Maybe I told him that because I really AM sick of him. There's really no love any more. It's just about…"

Now it was Urara's turn to interrupt Chiharu. "Well, anyway, do you think he's trying to call you? I mean, you two have been so lovey-dovey for so long, we've almost gotten sick…" Urara realized she meant she had always been sick of hearing about Ouji, and by the realization dawning on Chiharu's face, she had just figured it out.

Chiharu, again, began to cry, but this time she got up and put an arm around Urara, who was still sitting.

"Urara, I'm sorry – I'm always bugging you about Ouji, and leaving you alone. I just thought you were happy with tennis, and…"

So did I, thought Urara. The tightness inside her started to feel heavy, and sharp.

"…I never realized," Chiharu continued, her hands resting on Urara's shoulders, "just how you felt."

Urara's heart struggled through the weight in her chest. She was sure Chiharu could hear it. "Ummm…" she stammered.

"It's okay, I'm sure you'll be able to find a boyfriend soon, Urara! I'll go with you, and find someone to replace that Ouji!"

Urara tried to push her face into the same cheerful, optimistic shape as Chiharu's. It was difficult, when she felt so cold and numb inside.

"Y- yeah," she said in a small voice. "Let's go together."


End file.
